Keir Starmer hits out at Vladimir Putin after British Council attack - 'this must end'

Keir Starmer has hit out at Vladimir Putin for "sabotaging hopes of peace" after a British Council building was stuck during a bombardment in Kyiv.

Harrowing footage shows the strike hitting the education and cultural organisation at Zhylyanska Street in the Ukrainian capital, part of a huge overnight attack that killed 15, including four children.

Russian sources celebrated the strike which hit the British Council, and alleged that a dozen people were in the building at the time. The PM condemned last night's "senseless" attack on Kyiv and accused Putin of "killing children and civilians". And French President Emmanuel Macron branded it "terror and barbarism".

READ MORE: Nigel Farage's deportation plans take puzzling twist after women and children remark

READ MORE: Asylum hotels could shut next year if policy for five countries changed says study

Mr Starmer wrote: "My thoughts are with all those affected by the senseless Russian strikes on Kyiv which have damaged the British Council building. Putin is killing children and civilians, and sabotaging hopes of peace. This bloodshed must end."

The bombardment also damaged the European Union delegation building. EU President Ursula von der Leyen said: "Russia must stop its indiscriminatory attacks on civilian infrastructure immediately and join negotiations for a just and lasting peace."

French President Mr Macron condemned the latest attack in his own X post. He wrote: "629 missiles and drones in one night on Ukraine: this is Russia's desire for peace. Terror and barbarism."

The Russian onslaught has shown no sign of abating despite Putin meeting Donald Trump for a summit earlier this month in Alaska. The US President is pushing for a face-to-face between the Russian tyrant and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

European leaders, including Mr Starmer and Mr Macron, met the US President at the White House last night for talks on reaching a peace deal. Mr Zelensky said after the attack: "Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table. We expect a response from everyone in the world who has called for peace but now more often stays silent rather than taking principled positions."

Russian strikes hit the central part of Kyiv, one of the few times Russian attacks have reached the heart of the Ukrainian capital since the start of the full-scale invasion. Residents cleared shattered glass and debris from damaged buildings.

Sophia Akylina said her home was damaged. "It's never happened before that they attacked so close," the 21-year old said. "Negotiations haven't yielded anything yet, unfortunately people are suffering."

Mr Zelensky has called for harsher US sanctions to cripple the Russian economy if Mr Putin does not demonstrate seriousness about ending the war. He reiterated those demands following the latest attack on the capital.

"All deadlines have already been broken, dozens of opportunities for diplomacy ruined," Mr Zelensky said. Mr Trump said last Friday that he expects to decide on the next steps in two weeks if direct talks are not scheduled.

READ MORE: Join our Mirror politics WhatsApp group to get the latest updates from Westminster